Enveloped in Sakura
by CodenameOokami
Summary: Hitomi Endo struggled to support her sister and herself in the streets of Rukongai. When her spiritual power surfaces, she finds herself thrust into the world of shinigami, but life won't get easier. Especially when she is assigned to Squad 6.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is my very first fanfiction published on so I apologize in advance for any unsatisfactory writing.**

**It should be obvious, but I do not own Bleach.**

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

"Good morning, Hii-chan," sang an all-too-familiar voice.

Good mornings usually begin when you are gently stirred from a restful slumber by the warm, golden midmorning sunlight streaming through a window, accompanied by the musical chirping of birds.

Not when you're forced awake by your spoiled princess of an older sister. And especially if she's calling you "Hii-chan".

I grudgingly pulled the blanket off of my head and glared, albeit groggily, at her.

"What do you want, Kumiko?" I croaked, doing my best to seem menacing. "And don't call me Hii-chan!" I hissed.

"But I just wanted to make Hitomi-chan breakfast," she pouted and held out a steaming bowl of what was I guessed was supposed to be miso soup. At this, I snapped awake and bolted out of my moth-eaten futon. Holding my hands up defensively, I backed a couple of feet away from my sister.

"Why do you have to react like that when your onee-chan was thoughtful and kind enough to help her younger sister?"

My sister placed the bowl on the nearby table, which creaked alarmingly, with a hurt expression that would make most people apologize and coo over her. But I was her sister and saw through the act. I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes in suspicion.

"Suuuuure. Whenever you decide to 'make breakfast', you want me to do something that usually ends up to be painful, embarrassing, or both."

"I do not!" she snapped, suddenly breaking out of her façade of angelic sweetness. "I mean," she smiled and regained her composure, "Why don't you eat this while it's still warm?" She gave another radiant smile, but shoved the bowl of hot soup into my hands.

My stomach rumbled loudly, so I hesitantly sipped the miso soup. And promptly spat it out.

"Jeez! What the heck did you put in this? I thought it was supposed to be miso soup! Seriously!"

Kumiko, instead of getting angry, stared down at her bare feet and the peeling tatami mats.

"Wait…did you make that 'soup' out of our emergency reserves?" I asked, a sinking feeling coming over me. When Kumiko gave another ladylike smile, I groaned and did a facepalm. "Do you know how much I had to work at the store to buy those? No, wait—don't answer that. You never work! You can't even comprehend the concept of 'work'."

Completely discarding her sweet sister act, she snarled, "Shut up!" Now her true personality was surfacing. "I don't work because I actually have a life. And why would I get all sweaty and nasty by working? I have a reputation as the Beauty of Rukongai to uphold."

Unfortunately, this was true. Kumiko was famous throughout Rukongai for her good looks. She had a delicate, heart-shaped face and an enchanting smile. With flowing, glossy chocolate-brown hair and impossibly blue eyes, she was an incredible rarity to the hard streets of Rukongai. And she was the complete opposite of me. I was plain and unspectacular. I had untidy black hair that refused to stay up in my customary ponytail, so loose strands constantly tickled the sides of my face. Whereas Kumiko had soft blue eyes the color of the ebbing tide, I had unsettling green eyes that made most people uneasy, including my parents. They constantly chided me for glaring at people, saying my eyes looked "too old for my age". Whatever that was supposed to mean. I was nearly a head taller than my older sister, who was of average height, which made me uncomfortably tall. Kumiko had a curvaceous figure that attracted much male gaze. I, on the other hand, had about as many curves as a toothpick. I still wonder how we're related.

"Yeah, so your younger sister has to break her back doing manual labor just so we can afford to rent this broken-down place, and that's not even mentioning all the crazy part-time jobs!"

I didn't have any social skills or charm (at all), unlike Kumiko, but I was always abnormally strong, able to hold my own against men that nearly doubled me in size. That was the main reason why I was a prized employee of the Sakamoto Odd Jobs of Inuzuri, the 78th district of Rukongai. While Inuzuri wasn't necessarily a "child-friendly" environment—in fact it was an "unlucky" place for anyone without a weapon—it still didn't compare to the 80th district. By working for room and board, I was able to rent out the dilapidated loft above the store. But for money to buy food, I had to do part-time jobs, so it was normal for me to be working from dawn until dusk every day. And even then, we still went to bed hungry a majority of the time.

"Well we wouldn't even be in this mess if it weren't for you!" Kumiko shouted triumphantly. Whenever she used this card, I couldn't help but cave. After all, it was my fault we were in Soul Society because…it was my fault that we died.

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><p><strong>Well, that was a short first chapter. I'd like to know what you think about it. <strong>

**-CodenameOokami**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So, this chapter is a long, but necessary flashback chapter. Thank you for enduring my first chapter.**

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

The memory of that day still rang clear in my memory, despite my efforts to forget.

_I was fifteen, at an age where my greatest worry was a test in math. I was always an outsider, even in my own family. Mother and Father absolutely fawned over Kumiko, who had just made her debut at eighteen as an actress. The three of them would always chatter on about Kumiko's latest photo shoot or filming of her drama, One Thousand Blossoms. _

_My only solace was martial arts. Despite my normal awkwardness, I excelled in the practice. I was proficient in jujutsu, which was the Japanese martial art involving indirect force to defeat an opponent, such as locks and throws. It suited my personality of "I won't attack you unless you piss me off", so it was easy to say that while I wasn't a very violent child, it was still dangerous to be on my bad side. _

_Although I enjoyed jujutsu, my true love was bōjutsu, the art of wielding a staff called the bō. Whereas my friends would always marvel at swordplay, I preferred the simplicity of a wooden staff. Which is not to say it was easy it was simple learning how to wield the bō. _

_On that day, I was walking home from the dojo, very bruised and exhausted from getting whaled on during practice. My sister was standing at our usual meeting place, a coffee shop a block away from the dojo. She was dressed in a highly fashionable designer top and miniskirt with expensive-looking sunglasses. As soon as she saw me, she clopped forward angrily toward me in high heels/torture devices._

"_I don't know why Mom and Dad always want me to walk you home. I guess it's because it would be bad to my reputation as celebrity to have my little sister wandering around the city," she complained. _

_I rolled my eyes. "You can just meet me at the dojo, you know."_

_She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "I can't be seen in a dingy little dojo. And I also can't be parading around with a smelly younger sister in a hakama. So go change. Quickly!" she said and tossed a bag at me. "They're my clothes from my last photo shoot. I don't want them anymore. You can keep them."_

_Biting down a protest, I went into the coffee shop and changed in the bathroom. "How do you wear this, Kumiko?" I thought to myself as I stared at the sickeningly cute, floral mini dress that I was forced to wear. "And it even has lace!" I whined. I exploded when I saw the shoes which were high heeled and strappy. I stomped out of the bathroom angrily. "And she knows I hate girly clothes!" I yelled, causing the customers at the coffee shop to stare at me. _

"_You look adorable!" Kumiko squealed. _

_I shot her one of my famous dagger glares. "Never call me adorable," I warned._

_As usual, she was the only person I knew completely unfazed by my intimidating stare. _

"_You should wear more pretty clothes, Hitomi. You look so boyish in your normal clothes. In fact, I would have thought you were a boy this morning if it weren't for your hair."_

"_And why is that a bad thing? My clothes are comfortable, affordable, and most importantly, not pink. And besides, this dress is too short!" I ranted, tugging the dress, which refused to go below my knees. _

"_I can't help it if you're weirdly tall. Whatever. I have to go to a filming for a commercial in an hour, so shut up and hurry up," my sister snapped impatiently. Such sisterly affection._

_ "Well let's take a shortcut!" I retorted. Grinning, I grabbed Kumiko's hand and dragged her down an alleyway. She stumbled behind me, hissing and shouting curses as she struggled to break free of my iron grip._

_ I didn't actually know where we were headed and after a series of sharp turns, I realized we were lost. _

_ "Let go of my hand!" Kumiko screeched and dug her nails into my arm. _

_ "Okay, okay, I'm letting go," I said and released her arm. Angry red, crescent-shaped marks throbbed on the underside of my forearm. Those decorated fake nails hurt! Nursing my arm, I glanced around. It was your typical dimly lit corridor covered with grime and graffiti. Being an ignorant teenager, I had no idea that I was deep in the territory of the Blood Dragons, one of the most violent gangs in the area. _

_ "If I'm late for my filming, you're going to be in so much trouble," my sister threatened. _

_ "Yeah, yeah, whatever," I said absentmindedly. I had an incredible lack of directional senses and a propensity for getting lost—not your best combination of traits._

_ "Do you even know where we are, Hitomi?" _

_ "Uh, no," I said and decided to keep walking straight ahead._

_ "What do you mean 'uh, no'? I thought that this was supposed to be a shortcut! HITOMI!" she said, the panic in her voice evident. She quickly scuttled behind me and put her hand on my shoulder. _

_ "Calm down, Kumiko. I'll figure out how to get out of this labyrinth. Eventually," I said, with the last word under my breath._

_ "Well, you better!" Kumiko said, the fear in her voice overwhelming the feeble threat. _

_ We walked down the convoluted maze of back alleyways, searching for an exit. Kumiko jumped nearly ten feet in the air every time she saw a rat zoom across our path. Which was to say, every couple minutes._

_We took what seemed to be our hundredth left turn, when we chanced upon a group of figures dressed in black jackets, emblazoned with the snarling face of a dragon, blood dripping out of its maw. _

_What I saw was traumatizing for a fifteen-year-old schoolgirl, who never even watched a horror movie before. There was a man in a worn-looking suit, lying face down in a pool of blood, surrounded by three other men, one of which held a blood-covered knife. They were young, probably no older than Kumiko._

"_That's what happens when you don't pay your gambling debts, old man. You'll be an example of what happens to people who try to defy the Blood Dragons," said the one holding the bloody knife. He had spiky hair and glinting black eyes. _

"_C'mon, Ryuu, the man said that he'd have the money next week," protested the one with shaggy bleached-blonde hair. _

_The third man with bright red hair punched him in the shoulder. He had a tattoo of a dragon on his neck. "Don't be such a freaking girl, newbie. We're the Blood Dragons, not some pansy motorcycle gang." _

_"So what are we going to do about the body, Nakayama-san?" asked the spiky-haired Ryuu to the red-haired man._

_Kumiko was tugging at my arm, but I was frozen to the spot. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't move, transfixed by the sight of the man casually holding the knife that had just slain a man. _

_"Let's get out of here, Hitomi," my sister hissed, pulling fiercely. But she lost her balance and fell, which startled me from my trance. _

_This also startled the three men. For a moment, our eyes met and I felt the murder intent in the eyes of the one called Nakayama-san. And in the next, I hauled Kumiko to her feet and ran as fast as I could. _

_"Don't just stare at them! Get them!" shouted Nakayama, like a true villain. Sure enough, they set off in hot pursuit of us. _

_At this, I ran even faster, years of martial arts training augmenting my pace. Kumiko, on the other hand, struggled to keep up._

_"Move, Kumiko! Run, because your life depends on it!" I yelled. Quickly, I reached down and pulled of my stupid shoes and flung my bag at them. They dodged the projectile and ran faster toward us. Spouting some colorful choice words, I chucked my shoes at them. One clattered harmlessly against a wall. The other shoe smashed into spike-head, who howled in pain as he dropped and clutched his left eye. The other two continued to chase after us. Cursing, I took the lead again, darting an making sharp turns, with Kumiko behind me. Finally, it had seemed that we lost them. Breathing heavily, I turned to my sister who collapsed on the ground. _

_"Can't...run...anymore...stupid," she panted. I crouched beside her. _

_"But you know, you run pretty well for a chick in high heels," I joked, nudging her shoulder. _

_At first she glared at me, but after a few seconds, we burst into laughter._

_"That was hilarious when I fell down trying to pull you away!" Kumiko said, giggling madly. _

_"But it wasn't as funny as when I chucked that shoe at Spike-Head's eye!"_

_"Spike-Head?" she asked._

_"You know, the thug that looks like he sticks his fingers in electrical sockets," I explained. _

_Kumiko snorted, which caused us to erupt in more hysterical laughter. Tears were beginning to form in the corner of my eye, but our laughter stopped abruptly when three figures approached my field of vision. _

_"Damn it!" I yelled, jumping to my feet. Kumiko, who had been so lively the moment before, was now silent and pale. _

_"Let's go!" I hissed, hauling Kumiko up to her feet once more. She wobbled unsteadily for a few seconds, but I yanked her further along the alleyway. _

_"Those jerks are persistent!" I thought as we stumbled along the path. Finally, the brightness of the bustling city appeared like a vision from heaven. With newfound hope, we sped forward. _

_Only to be stopped by a red-haired figure that appeared like an angel of death. I turned around, only to be halted by the other two approaching us from the other side. We were cornered. _

_"You girls are pretty fast, I'll give you that. But this is Blood Dragon territory-you never stood any chance of escaping," drawled the one with blood-red hair. _

_Instinctively, I stood in front of Kumiko, trying to shield her from the threats closing in on us. I quietly assumed a stance that would prepare me for the multiple opponents that outweighed me. _

_"We didn't mean to crash your little party back there, but you guys witnessed our 'conversation' with the old man," sneered Spike-Head. _

_"Yeah, we saw you murder an innocent civilian," I spat, my eyes darting between the three men. Which was the most dangerous?_

_"We got ourselves a little miss police officer, don't we Yuki?" he jeered, prodding the blonde, who laughed nervously. _

_"Ryuu, was it? How's your eye? My throwing arm has been out of practice lately," I sneered. _

_"Why you little-" Ryuu started at me, but red-haired Nakayama held him back. "Don't be so impatient Ryuu. We have to play with them first," he said, with a look in his eyes that sent every alarm signal off in my brain. Grinning sleazily, he fondled Kumiko's hair. "You're such a pretty girl, you know, with such soft hair." She whimpered in absolute terror. _

_"Don't touch her!" I snarled and batted away his hand with a tightly controlled strike. They only laughed grotesquely. _

_"Feisty one, eh? You know, you're not so bad yourself," he said, raising his arm to pet my face. _

_Something inside me snapped at that moment. I grabbed his outstretched hand and using a basic maneuver, flipped him into the pavement. He shouted in pain, but quickly stood back up with an unsettling grin on his face. Both he and Ryuu rushed at me._

_I don't quite remember what happened next. Though, I remember seeing red as fists flew and I fought with all my martial arts training. Somehow, while I was whaling on those two, blonde-haired, timid Yuki grabbed Kumiko, who struggled until he pressed a blade against her neck. _

_"Stop! Don't move or I'll...I'll kill her!" he screamed, but he was trembling. _

_"No, Kumiko!" I cried. I turned, momentarily distracted, from the other two, which was my fatal error. _

_That scumbag Ryuu reached into his pocket and jabbed something into my stomach. Pain blossomed in my abdomen as I tried to comprehend what had just occurred. _

_Everything seemed to pass in slow motion as my eyes trailed down to look at my stomach. There was the handle of a blade jutting out, coated with blood. It was my blood, I realized and collapsed. _

_Kumiko gave an inhuman shriek as she saw me fall._

_My thoughts, becoming increasingly fuzzier, tried to process the situation. _

_I heard muffled footsteps as they stepped over my crumpled body and toward Kumiko. I wanted to yell, to fight, but I found I could barely even move my index finger. I heard my sister scream once more, but then she fell silent. Silent tears rolled down my face as I struggled to do something, anything. _

_Somewhere, deep within myself, I felt a small sliver of power, a dwindling flame of energy. Drawing upon my last reserves of strength, I staggered to my feet. My hand, surprisingly steady, moved to wrap my fingers around the hilt of the knife. Biting my tongue to keep myself from crying out, I yanked the blade out of my body, gagging at the stench of blood. _

_In my blurred vision I saw a cowering Kumiko. The sight of the jeering men and my helpless sister filled me with rage. My vision suddenly became sharp as I shuffled toward them. They were too preoccupied with torturing Kumiko that they didn't notice me approaching. _

_"Come on girl, we can be 'nice' to you," Ryuu drawled and bet down to stroke her cheek. Kumiko began sobbing uncontrollably and he kicked her in her side. "You're not that that pretty if you cry, so shut up!" he roared, but Kumiko only sobbed louder. At this, his face contorted in rage as he poised himself to strike her again. "I said shut up you-" _

_He was cut short by my hoarse yell as I plunged the knife into a vulnerable part of his back. "I told you not to touch her," I growled. Just as I was about to rush to Kumiko, I heard the heart-stopping sound of a gunshot and my sister's reaching hand thudded to the floor, her body unmoving. This time I did not scream her name, as I knew it would be of no use. My sister was dead. _

_The shock caused me to barely register a second gunshot that struck me in the chest. And this time, I felt no spark of energy or life as Nakayama loomed over me, with his hair as red as blood. Oh how ironic. _

_"You're tough one, you know. I think you might have killed Ryuu," he chuckled. "I have to admit, I'm impressed. I only use my gun when I feel my life is threatened by my prey. So before you die, and I know you'll die this time, thanks for the fight. It was entertaining."_

_In my fading vision, I saw him turn around and walk away. I laughed at my fate and the bitter irony of my life. But the movement caused me to to cough, spewing blood. And then the pain began to set in, along with the reality of impending death. My largely unexciting life where I was but a shadow of my sister-who would've thought I would have such an eventful death. I almost began laughing again, my head feeling light from the copious amounts of blood flowing from my wounds, but I found it increasingly difficult to breathe. Though, as the world grew black, my last thoughts were of how easy it was to die, almost as simple as falling asleep. _

_And somehow, I was not afraid._

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><p><strong>Phew! That was a long flashback chapter. Rest assured, the next chapter will be back to normal. Please review! Helpful comments are always appreciated.<strong>

**-CodenameOokami**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: So, my third chapter. Don't worry; it's not another flashback chapter!**

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

A stinging slap pierced through my engrossing memories and the face of my sister, contorted in rage, brightened into my vision.

"Oi! Hitomi! Come back to reality!" Kumiko screeched. She raised her hand to slap me again, but I caught her strike midair.

"Hai, hai. I'm listening now," I said, coming out of my daze.

"God, you're so stupid. Whenever I mention our past, you freaking flip out. Even I got over the fact that we're _dead_,"

At the word "dead" I winced, but this went unnoticed by Kumiko, who had continued on her earlier tirade, all traces of sweetness and ladylike demure gone.

"All I wanted was a small favor, but you had to act all uptight and it—"

"Fine. What do you want?" I asked tiredly.

Kumiko grinned. "I just want you to give a message to Yoh-chan."

"Let me get this straight. You woke me up from a very nice state of semi-unconsciousness that gives me a couple of hours of break from all you annoying people and work to _talk to your boyfriend_?"

"It's not my fault you're not a morning person. I swear it's because of your AB blood type that you're always cranky."

"What? Just never mind. Hurry up and tell me what 'message' you want conveyed to loverboy."

"I'll just ignore that last part. Just tell Yoh that I agree to meet him for _dinner_ at the _special_ meeting place tonight," she said, emphasizing 'dinner' and 'special', which somehow made me suspicious.

"Wait, what do you mean by 'dinner' and 'special meeting place'?"

My sister smiled slyly and opened her mouth to answer, but I cut her off.

"Actually please don't answer that question. You might make me vomit,"

"You're such a child, Hitomi," she sighed airily, "It's been almost three years now; you'd be eighteen in the human world."

"Whatever. Where's your boyfriend, anyway?"

"He's at work," she said simply. When I looked at her with a blank expression, she rolled her eyes. "Yoh works at in a bar called Ranki…in the 79th district."

The 79th district wasn't far off from the 78th district, but was notorious for shady business dealings. And I was about to wander around in a bar probably full of wanted criminals to seek out another one of my sister's sorry boyfriends. What a great plan.

"You owe me big time, Kumiko," I warned, but she had already exited the room.

I could blow it off, but Kumiko had the skill of pushing my buttons—every pet peeve, sensitive topic, hurtful moment, and memory from out past life—down to a science. The last time I denied her something, she made my life a living hell. I shuddered the "sandal incident" came to mind. But most importantly, although she was the most aggravating person I have ever known, she was still my sister.

Groaning and muttering curses, I changed into my only other spare set of clothes, a raggedy cotton kimono. As the grogginess finally disappeared from the cobwebbed recesses of my mind, I remembered the danger of my destination. I slipped the knife under my pillow into a hidden compartment that I stitched into my kimono, feeling marginally safer.

88888888

The pressure of the knife blade slightly calmed my quickening pulse as I walked quickly through the streets of the 79th district. I was careful not to hold the eye of any of the leering inhabitants. Despite this, I still heard a couple of bawdy jokes and jeers. It took nearly all of my self-control not to punch each of them in the face. People staring at me always made me irritable and twitchy and I was again reminded of how I contrasted with my sister, who adored the spotlight.

I had a vague idea of where this "Ranki" place was. I snickered a little. Ranki meant "mountain mist", which brought to mind silent, eerie serenity in harmony with the pure earth. But then again, the buildings in this district were "mountains" of overcrowded families and run-down buildings and the cigarette smoke was so thick in the air that it probably qualified as "mist".

My train of thought was suddenly derailed when a commotion started a few feet in front of me. There was shouting, smashing sounds, and then two men leapt out of an alleyway, continuing to fight. I winced as the shorter man suffered a blow to the side of the head and he fell to the ground, out cold.

Coincidentally, the two were brawling in front of a building, with signs labeled "Ranki" plastered to its walls. Although it was nicer-looking than many in the area, the building sent shivers down my spine. This definitely was not a good place for a young, (mostly) unarmed female to waltz into. So what did I do? I went in, of course.

The minute I opened the door, I felt a wave of some raw _energy_, some force that made me break out in a cold sweat and I clenched my fists. As soon as the feeling began to suffocate me, it dissipated just as quickly as I had sensed it**. **

"What's such a beautiful girl doing in a place like this?" breathed a voice next to my ear.

As a result of martial arts conditioning, I was immediately in a fighting stance before the stranger even spoke his first word. I whirled around, ready to face the unlucky guy that decided to try to sneak up on me. Instead of facing some creepy-looking, middle-aged lecher with a beard, I found myself looking at a young man that seemed to be around Kumiko's age. He stood a couple of inches taller than me, probably making him a little over six feet tall. He smirked, looking at me through intelligent blue eyes.

"Easy, easy. No need to get so aggressive. I just wanted to ask why a cute—"

"I'm looking for someone named Yoh," I snapped, feeling my hand inch toward my hidden knife.

The man sighed and ran a hand though his unruly chestnut brown hair. "Another one, eh? I'll take you to him if you promise me you aren't one of those psychotic-jealous-stalker types. They're always a handful."

I shot one of my famous glares at the man and he relented. Quickly, before I could protest, he grabbed my arm and steered me though the crowd to a less rowdy area of the bar. Before I could break his arm, though, he stopped in front of a group of booths. They were occupied by several couples who were making out and doing god-knows-what. I swiftly averted my eyes and fixed them on the ground and felt my cheeks grow warm.

The man glanced back at me and grinned. "I'm Saito Sakamoto. You can just call me Saito. And I'm much nicer than Yoh. He's the lucky bastard over there," Saito said, pointing at a man in a booth wearing what seemed to be an employee uniform. I grudgingly admitted to myself that the man was pretty good-looking, with tousled golden hair and an athletic build.

"I thought he was an employee here," I said.

"Well, technically he is an employee, but he's the boss's favorite," Saito explained.

I glanced at him quizzically and noticed that he wasn't wearing a uniform. "Are you an employee here, too?"

"You could say that," he said simply, refusing to elaborate. "But anyway, weren't you here for Yoh? Are you another one of his girlfriends?"

I froze. "What do you mean 'another one'?"

Instead of answering me, Saito pointed to a woman approaching Yoh's booth. She was dressed in a tight-fitting kimono with a scandalously low neckline. I watched as she slid next to Yoh. He said something and the woman giggled flirtatiously. My eyes began to twitch as the blonde-haired man slid an arm around the woman's waist. Before I could run over there, Saito grabbed my arm, again. "Don't mess him up too badly. And try not to damage the furniture," he advised, slightly chuckling, but still serious.

I grumbled something about "rearranging Yoh's face" and stomped off. As I approached, the two began snogging passionately. How many times has this jerk cheated on my sister?

I grabbed a nearby glass and slammed it onto their table, causing them to part. The woman squinted at me through heavily painted lids. "Can't you see you're interrupting something_,_" she sneered, thrusting her well-endowed chest out and scanned me like I was some kind of competition.

"I'm here to talk to Yoh," I growled, "not to get into a fight with insecure attention seekers."

The woman huffed indignantly and was about to retort when the filthy worm began to talk. I could feel my blood pressure rise as he lazily waved me away.

"Who are you? Look, if I forgot to leave a note in the morning-"

"No way in hell, moron. My name is Hitomi Endo and I'm here because my sister Kumiko, your _girlfriend_, wanted me to tell you to see her at some stupid 'meeting place' about a freaking 'dinner'. But I see you're too busy for that," I said, my voice steadily rising.

Before he could respond, I cut him off. "You know, even though she can be one of the most frustrating people I know, Kumiko is also one of the most loyal people I know. She's way too good for some sleazy wannabe playboy that has to sleep with his employer for a job."

"Hey now, that's going too far. I don't know what your problem is, but if the slut is going to be half as annoying as you are about this, then tell her that I'm breaking up with her and," he paused and grinned, "that I said thanks for the nice night."

He didn't have time to react as I reached over the table and grabbed him by the front of his uniform, knocking the table aside. "Look, you can insult me all you want, but if you ever say that about my sister again, I swear I'll-"

The arrogant grin disappeared from his face as he grabbed me by the front of my kimono. "You'll do what? What I do and say is my business. You've got some nerve talking to me like that, _bitch_." he roared.

"You know where I said you can insult me all you want? Well, I lied," I said and let go of the front of his uniform, only to promptly send him flying into a wall with a well-placed kick to the abdomen.

He wasn't athletic-looking for nothing. Yoh picked himself up out of the crater in the wall and launched a powerful punch toward my head. I grabbed his arm and used the considerable momentum to flip him onto his back. The noise in the bar had died down and I realized that they were all watching us.

"And if you ever come near my sister again, I will beat you so badly that I'll have to leave a note, just so they can identify your body," I warned and turned to leave before I caused any more structural damage.

In the corner of my eye, I saw him stagger to his feet and pull a shiny golden object out of his pocket. He screamed something and the object glowed so brightly that by the time I turned to face him again, I was momentarily blinded. When the light dimmed, Yoh's hand was encased by what seemed to be a golden metal glove with the design of a white lotus on the back.

"You thought you could make a fool out me and live. At least you got to enjoy your little moment of victory," he spat, raising his armored palm at me. The air began to shimmer in front of him until a large beam of light shot from his fingertips.

Suddenly, Saito was standing in front of me, his arms outstretched and one holding a drawn sword. "Bakudō #39: Enkosen!" Saito yelled and a spinning shield of dull yellow energy appeared in front of us, blocking the beam, which diffused off the sides of the shield.

The attack had completely torn apart the bar, reducing it to rubble. Saito had shielded us from the majority of the damage. "What the hell is going on?" I demanded.

"I just risked my life to save you and that's what you say? You're supposed to weep and thank me!" he joked, but I didn't smile.

"What was that beam of light? What is that glove on Yoh's hand? And why are you holding a katana?"

Saito sighed. "I'm a shinigami of the Sixth Division. I'm technically on assignment. I was searching for a stolen artifact of the Noble Family Egashira. I thought it would be easier to go incognito and search in the black market district of Rukongai. I tracked it down to a bar called Ranki, which serves as a front for illegal trading, especially of items with spiritual power. And that thing Yoh is attacking us with is the artifact that I have to find."

"Then why did you save me? You don't even know my name."

"It's my duty as a shinigami to protect the Soul Society and its inhabitants. Besides, I like you."

I rolled my eyes. "My name's Hitomi, okay. Hitomi Endo."

He gave another goofy grin. "Now I can say that I saved a beautiful maiden, the lovely-eyed Hitomi*. Or can I just call you Hii-chan?"

"Absolutely not!" I shouted, smiling.

"See, my friends all think I'm funny," Saito bragged. In my years in the Rukongai, I had never actually made a friend. I was too busy working to even have a social life. Even when I was alive, I didn't have many friends.

A sudden noise from behind caused us both to spin around. I immediately went into a fighting stance, pulling out my knife, but Saito stepped in front of me, katana raised. Out of the wreckage emerged Yoh, completely unharmed. The glove on his right hand was now pulsing ominously.

"I hate it when people underestimate me. With the Tebukuro no Shirayuri, I'm more powerful than any lowly shinigami!" he bellowed.

"You've got it all wrong, pal. I'm the fourth seat of Division Six," Saito said, his voice calm. "But, you're kind of right though. That artifact _is_ really powerful, but I really need that glove back, otherwise my captain will..." he shuddered. "I _guess_ I'll have to release my zanpakuto. You might want to step back, Hii-chan."

Though I scowled at the nickname, I complied and took a few steps back.

Saito pointed his sword at Yoh and sighed. "Well, I've wanted to kick your ass for a long time so…_Flood the earth_, Doshaburi."

My eyes widened as the normal-looking katana in Saito's hand glowed and shifted in to what appeared to be a _Jumonji yari_, a spear with a long, straight double-edged blade. On both sides of the blade were two hook-like protrusions and the shaft had intricate carvings of wave patterns. The weapon was taller than Saito and looked very, very deadly. I felt a surge of the same suffocating power that I had sensed before and I realized that it was emanating from Saito.

Fear flickered across Yoh's face, but he did not flee. "Doshaburi is a very temperamental zanpakuto. He likes to create hurricanes and storms. Sometimes I wish he had a more sunny personality," Saito explained.

"I already told you. You don't stand a chance against the Tebukuro no Shirayuri. It harnesses the divine power of light. Let me show you its power!" Yoh yelled, grinning maniacally. An orb of light grew in his outstretched hand and he launched it at Saito. The light burned brighter than the beam of light before and grew to a massive size.

Saito didn't move to dodge. Instead he swiped the air with his weapon and shouted, "Yokogumo!" A wall of torrential clouds manifested from the blade and collided with the sun-like projectile.

"That was just a warm-up!" Yoh placed his hands together, forming a triangle with his pointer fingers and thumbs. A hail of thousands of glowing golden bullets rained toward Saito, but he spun his zanpakuto in a circle and a flurry of storm clouds blocked Yoh's attacks.

"You know, you're really getting on my nerves," Saito groaned. He pointed his zanpakuto directly at Yoh and shouted, "Shu rai!" A gale erupted from the blade, wreathed in lightning. Yoh put up a shield of light, but the hurricane shattered it and slammed into him, sending him flying into a nearby building.

"That was too easy. That loser got so cocky just because he has some powerful weapon, but he couldn't fully control it," Saito muttered. He turned back around and walked to me, smiling widely. He held out the spear and it glowed and morphed back into a katana, which he promptly sheathed. "Don't you think I'm cool? Have you fallen in love with my awesomeness?" he drawled, poking me in the shoulder.

"In your dreams," I snapped and stabbed near his hand with my knife. "Hey, that's dangerous!" Saito cried.

"Waah, Hii-chan! I'm so hungry after getting worked up! Treat me to ramen!" he whined as he ran behind me.

"I don't even have enough money to feed myself and my sister let alone to some crazy lunatic with a sword."

"I'm hurt, Hii-chan," Saito pouted, but his expression morphed into one of curiosity. "Wait, you said you said that you get hungry? And do you get thirsty?" he stared at me, puzzled.

I stared back at him. "Yeah, doesn't everyone?"

Saito was about to respond, but then a brilliant light flashed from behind him. "Saito, get out of the way!" I screamed and without thinking I jumped in front of the beam to shield him.

The last thing I remember was blinding white light that engulfed the landscape.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yes, a cliffhanger. Don't worry, we'll meet Byakuya soon! **

**By the way, here are some terms that you may want for clarification:**

**Tebukuro no Shirayuri= "Glove of White Lotus"**

**Doshaburi= "Cloudburst"**

**Yokogumo= "Wall of clouds"**

**Shu rai= "Lightning strike"**

***Hitomi means "eyes" or "pupil of the eye" and is typically reserved for baby girls with large, beautiful eyes. Saito jokes at this because Hitomi has scowling, sharp green eyes and usually glares.**

**The **_**Jumonji yari **_**is a traditional Japanese spear-type weapon. If you want an example of one, go to the "yari" page on Wikipedia. **

**And, as always, I appreciate any comments. **

**-Codename Ookami**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Yay! I finally got off my lazy butt and decided to write it. Gah, so much homework! And then there's the exams that I probably should be studying for. But you don't want to know about that. So instead, in this chapter, Hitomi finally gets to meet Byakuya! (mischievous snicker)**

**(cough) Anyway, I apologize in advance for any unsatisfactory writing. Without any more mindless babbling, here's cap****í****tulo cuatro!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 4<p>

"Hii-chan," I heard a familiar voice whisper close to my ear. "Hii-chan," the voice said again. This was feeling like déjà vu. "If you don't wake up, I'll kiss you," it whispered.

My eyes snapped opened to the grinning face of Saito. "See, I told you that would wake her up," he sang.

"What the hell were you thinking, Hitomi?" another familiar voice screeched. I tilted my head to see Kumiko standing next to Saito, a furious expression on her face. She sniffled and angrily wiped away a few stray tears.

"Where am I?" I croaked, looking down to find myself in a clean white kimono. "And how did I get in these clothes?" I glared at Saito. I noticed that he was dressed in a black hakama and kosode, with his katana strapped to his waist.

"Relax, you're in the Fourth Division Medical Relief Station. That's hurtful, you know. I'm not a pervert."

I glared at him again. "Okay, I'm not _that_ much of a pervert," he confessed.

"You have some interesting friends, Hitomi," my sister said.

"Says the woman with a homicidal boyfriend, with a highly dangerous stolen weapon, that demolished a building, and tried to kill the said woman's sister," I retorted, listing them off on my fingers. Kumiko flinched and looked away, ashamed. "Speaking of sociopathic boyfriends, where is the bastard?"

Saito fidgeted nervously. "Um, you see-"

At that moment, the door banged open and someone walked in. I felt the air in the room grow cold and I felt a strong energy.

"Sakamato. You have disobeyed my orders," an icy voice said.

There, in the middle of the pristine hospital room, stood the most _irritating_ man I had ever seen. He had emotionless grey eyes and some odd headpieces arranged perfectly in sleek black hair. Several strands hung in front of his face and I had to fight the urge to yank them out of his face. He was dressed in the same black attire as Saito, but wore spotless white haori over it emblazoned with a strange symbol. And he was wearing a scarf during summer for some reason. The aura of pure arrogance that emanated from him made me clench my fists in order to keep myself from lashing out. Yet, there was something familiar about the man, like I had met him before.

"I had specifically ordered you to bring back the Tebukuro no Shirayuri without bringing any attention to yourself. My reports have said that an entire block in the 79th District of Rukongai has been destroyed, along with the Egashira artifact. Not only that, but the display required me to personally come and attempt to salvage the mission," he said in the same tone, completely ignoring me and my sister.

"Yeah, what happened to the weird glove thing?" I asked and immediately regretted it when gray eyes glared daggers at me. But that suddenly made me angry. What was wrong with the guy? I had just met him and he was already resigned to hate me. I shot a glare back at him with equal ferocity and our gazes locked in a silent battle of wills. The temperature in the room seemed to drop as Kumiko backed away from the man and toward Saito.

Saito cleared his throat nervously and we simultaneously glared at him instead. "This is Hitomi Endo, taichou. She's technically the one responsible for the explosion and the destruction of the Tebukuro no Shirayuri," he explained.

"I _what_?"

"You see, after I attacked Yoh and thought I killed him, it turns out I didn't."

"I know that, genius. I remember jumping in front of the beam, but other than that…"

"Yes, you did take the attack. But something strange happened. You remember when I asked you if you got hungry and thirsty, right?"

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, only those with stronger spiritual power experience hunger."

"Me, with spiritual power?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes, you _definitely_ have spiritual power. Your own reiatsu suddenly unleashed just before Yoh's attack reached you. It pushed back Yoh's attack and obliterated the surrounding area, along with Yoh."

"That's not p-" I began, but trailed off as the memory rushed back.

_Just before the blinding beam of light had incinerated me, I felt the flame of energy again. But this time, it felt like a raging inferno that threatened to explode. _

"_Hitomi, say my name," a voice said in my head. _

_Suddenly, I found myself in a forest clearing. Sunlight shone down through green leaves, illuminating a sparkling river. On the other side of the riverbank was a woman. Or at least she seemed like a woman. She had ethereal elfin features—slanted eyes and pointed ears with long white hair that gleamed like starlight, almost touching the ground. She wore a dress made of some delicate white fabric that trailed across the ground. She gazed at me with melancholy silver eyes that penetrated my fear. _

"_Where am I?" I asked the woman, as she was the only other person around. _

"_You are in your inner world, Hitomi. In the real world outside, you are about to be consumed by the light of the Tebukuro no Shirayuri. But you can stop the attack."_

"_How?" I asked. _

"_Say my name, Hitomi."_

"_But I don't even know who you are!" _

"_I am a part of you, Hitomi. Look deep within yourself and find my name."_

_I tried to walk closer to the woman, but the river continued to grow. The woman sighed. "It is too early." She frowned. "Use my power—our power—and fight the enemy. Then, promise me…to find yourself and in turn, myself." _

"_What are you talking about?" I asked exasperatedly as the woman began to walk into the forest. _

"_The river," she said simply and disappeared. _

_I was about to ask again what in the world the strange woman was talking about, but the river began to grow, advancing toward me. It was now a raging torrent, not the serene trickling brook that I had seen before. I tried to back away, but the river moved too quickly and dragged me in. _

_But instead of drowning, I found myself back in the destroyed bar, with the white light from Yoh's glove beginning to singe the front of my clothes. _

_The pent up energy flowed forth from me, like the violent river that had engulfed me. It forced back the beam of light, but the energy continued to blast away at my surroundings. The explosive power leveled buildings, reducing the town to rubble. It took all of my willpower to try to keep the energy from destroying me as well._

_I think I heard someone screaming, probably me. I fell to my knees and struggled to keep the power from incinerating my mind and body, but the current was too strong. Patches of black began to invade my sight. Just when I thought I would be completely consumed, the current suddenly stopped, as if shutting off a faucet. But my mind grew increasingly fuzzier, and I fell forward. Before my face smashed into the ground, though, I felt strong arms break my fall._

"Oh…I remember now," I muttered. "So I guess it's not normal to leak explosive spiritual power and demolish towns,"

"No, actually, your reiryoku—your spiritual power— is quite unique, Moriyama-san. It is fairly powerful, too," said a kindly-faced woman that just entered the room. "I am the captain of this division and the infirmary, Retsu Unohana." She wore the same uniform as the arrogant man, with a long-sleeved white haori. Her hair was braided in a long queue down the front of her neck. I couldn't help but scratch my neck; wasn't that braid itchy?

"I see you've regained consciousness. You were in quite a horrible state when Kuchiki-taichou brought you to the infirmary."

"Kuchiki?" I repeated, glancing at the man that Saito had referred to as captain. The name echoed in my brain and I felt some spark of recognition.

And then it hit me. "YOU!" I shouted. "The man enveloped in sakura," I mouthed under my breath. "You're the one that pulverized that monster that attacked my sister and me!"

When his face continued to remain impassive, I continued on. "When my sister and I died in the World of the Living, we continued to wander around our hometown as spirits. I remember…one day, we were cornered by a _thing_. It was massive, with a terrifying roar, and a white mask made of bone."

"Ah, what you encountered was a Hollow, Moriyama-san," the Unohana woman added encouragingly.

"Okay. The, um, Hollow attacked my sister first. It said that it wanted to consume our rei-something and…it _laughed_ when I tried to protect her. With just my martial arts training, I knew I didn't stand a chance against that Hollow." I winced as I remembered my injuries. "I was just batted around like some rag doll. No matter what I did, none of my attacks seemed to have any effects. I was just slowly dying," I said, teeth clenched. "Again," I added in a whisper.

"Did my taichou come in a blaze of glory, heroically smash up the Hollow, and save the day?" Saito asked, motioning wildly.

"Um, not exactly. You may think I'm crazy, but just before I was about to be permanently beaten into a pulp, a weapon manifested in my hand," I said, making stupid swinging gestures.

The Unohana woman cocked an eyebrow. "You have said that a weapon of some sort suddenly appeared. And you have already proven that you have a powerful reiryoku. The weapon that manifested must be a zanpakuto."

"I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. All I know is that this weird glowing staff suddenly appeared when I most needed it," I explained, but added, "It did help me beat the crap out of the Hollow, though."

It was now that the Kuchiki guy began to speak. "It is impossible for you to possess a zanpakuto without a blade. You most likely spewed some of barbaric reiatsu, similar to what occurred in the 79th District."

"I'm just telling you what happened," I snapped. This guy seemed to have "irritatingly impassive and condescending" as a default setting. "I was about to seriously kick Hollow ass until you showed up."

"My taichou has a point, though. Today, your reiatsu was wild and uncontrollable, so how were you able to manifest a zanpakuto-like object previously?" Saito interjected.

I ran through my hair. "I dunno. Maybe it would have exploded randomly like it did today. But before that happened, Kuchiki swooped in with a swarm of killer sakura blossoms and blew up the Hollow."

Though I said it nonchalantly, I dared not mention the awe that I felt on that day. I had watched in reverence as the man silently took down the monster that had almost grinded me to bits, with the most beautiful flurry of shimmering cherry blossoms. The attack was surprisingly elegant, like a noble dance. Most of all, remembered the beautiful, yet chilling expression on his face. I studied his face now, looking for the same haunting expression that I had never forgotten, but the coolness that burdened his countenance now was a different type of silent. It was not beautiful, but suffocating.

He noticed me gawking at him, so I quickly averted my gaze before another staring contest could begin. It suddenly felt awkward and tense in the room, so I cleared my throat.

"Yeah, and after, Kuchiki just introduced himself and said some spiel about 'shinigami-this' and 'Soul Society-that' and jabbed me in the head with the base of a sword. I think he did the same to my sister shortly after. And, poof, here we are now."

"That is an interesting story, Endo-san," Unohana-taichou said. How exactly did she know my name? "The fact still remains that you are a danger to the Soul Society."

I was about to object, but Kumiko, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke up. "Hitomi wouldn't hurt anybody! She didn't do anything to harm the shinigami, either. In fact, she helped you guys by-"

"She single-handedly decimated a block in the 79th District and overwhelmed an extremely powerful weapon created by a noble family," Kuchiki said, cutting her off.

"So, in other words, Endo-san, we give you two options. Either you may become a shinigami and learn to control your reiryoku, or you will be properly _punished_ for your crimes," Unohana explained, smiling at me.

I felt chills race up and down my spine as she smiled at me. It was just creepy for some odd reason. I gulped and weighed my "options". I was driven into a corner. But despite the infuriating injustice of the circumstances, I still felt a desire to master my power. The voice of the dismal elf-lady flashed through my head.

"_Promise me to find yourself, and in turn…myself."_

"Okay, fine, I promise not to be a danger to society and become a shinigami," I sighed.

Unohana-taichou smiled again and I noticed that everyone in the room was affected by the resulting wave of creepiness. Even Kuchiki was terrified, as he discreetly shut his eyes for a minute longer than necessary.

"That was a good decision. Now, may everyone exit the room so Endo-san can rest? But Kumiko-san may stay," Unohana said softly, but she might as well have ordered them. "And only Kumiko-san," she added as Saito began to protest.

Nobody needed to be told twice. Kuchiki curtly nodded to Unohana-taichou and left in a swish of his robes and scarf with Saito followed behind him. Just before he left, Saito turned to me and saluted. "See you soon, Hii-chan!" he sang and disappeared in a flash. Unohana smiled once again and left the room, closing the door quietly. Once everyone was gone, I exhaled in relief.

"How come every time I try to protect you, I get shoved into another, more dangerous world filled with even crazier people?" I asked my sister.

Kumiko shrugged and turned her back to me. "I never asked you to try to protect me, you know."

"Hah, that makes me sound like a guy," I said and chuckled.

My sister suddenly wheeled around. "Don't laugh!" she snapped, but promptly burst into tears. "I'm sorry, Hitomi. I'm supposed to be the older sibling, but you always get hurt for trying to protect _me,_" she sobbed.

"Hey now! You're ranting about how you're the older sister, but you're the one bawling your head off like a baby! If you want to be the older sister, then act like it!" I said, scolding her.

This only made Kumiko cry harder, making me feel slightly guilty for being so harsh. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry for hurting myself. Now will you just stop crying?"

Kumiko looked at me, sniffling. "Only if you let me give you a hug." That manipulative girl.

"Fine, whatever. Just hurry up and get it over with. I hate it when people touch me!"

My sister flew at me, suffocating me with a rather awkwardly positioned embrace.

"Can't breathe! Can't breathe!" I hissed and Kumiko let go, beaming. "I think you're the reason why I hate hugs," I mumbled.

"Hey, do you think I could become a shinigami, too?" Kumiko asked. When I groaned, Kumiko shot me her characteristic smirk. "I can't let my baby sister beat me!" she exclaimed.

**88888888**

"Where am I going again?" I asked Saito groggily, rubbing my eyes. He was practically dragging me through the halls of the school.

"Jeez, you're not a morning person, are you?" he scoffed. His relentless cheer was getting on my nerves.

"Shut up. Anyone that wakes me up before I want to get out of bed has a serious death wish," I snarled, but the effect was ruined by a yawn.

"You're going to be part of the Special Accelerated Program at the Shino Academy! Ah, I remember those school days fondly." Saito sighed dramatically and I kicked his shin.

"Violent woman! How are you supposed to get a boyfriend when you're running around and biting people's heads off?"

"I told you to shut up already!" I snapped, feeling a blush creep up behind my cheeks, but I willed it back. Saito either didn't see the vicious glare that I sent him or he just didn't care. That idiot.

"I mean I understand you have an inferiority complex because your sister is _smoking hot_, but if you just clean up, maybe wear your hair down a little, and a bit of makeup, you'd be good competition. And for god's sake, stop scowling and smile once in a while!"

I grinned maliciously at him, doing my best to send my entire killing aura through the smile. It obviously had the desired effect, because Saito grimaced and said quickly, "Never mind. Don't do that. I swear you're almost as creepy as Unohana-taichou."

"If you think this is scary, then let me warn you beforehand: If you mess with Kumiko, I'll freaking rip out your intestines through your nose and strangle you with them."

"You're so mean, Hii-chan!" Saito wailed, flailing his arms around. I rolled my eyes; I was already used to Saito's crazy antics. Had I not seen him fight before, I would have no idea this guy was actually a powerful shinigami.

As we continued to walk down the hallways, bantering like brother and sister, the Shino Academy students began to stare at us. All of the watching eyes made me feel slightly panicky and I guess I must have started leaking reiatsu or something because Saito grabbed my arm and quickly steered me into an empty hallway.

"Sorry. Crowds make me kind of twitchy," I muttered.

Instead of giving some ridiculous response, Saito just gave me one of his goofy grins. "That's what friends are for," he mused. This time, I couldn't repress the stupid blush that spread across my face.

"Tsundere! Tsundere!" he teased.

"Oh, shut up!" I cried and punched him halfheartedly. We stopped in front of door similar to many we had passed on the way.

"Here we are, this will be your dorm. I'm so jealous, HIi-chan! You get to share bedrooms with cute Shino Academy girls!"

He reached for the door a bit too excitedly, so I slapped his hand and opened the door instead. "Sorry, no pretty girls having pillow fights in their underwear. Wait, how did you know where my bedroom is—this is a girl's dorm!"

When Saito didn't meet my eyes, I slapped him upside the head this time. "There's a limit to how perverted you can be!" I shouted.

"Endo-san?" a female voice said. We both turned to face a girl with honey-blonde hair tied in a bun. She glanced at us with expressive brown eyes, clasping her hands demurely. Even I had to admit she was quite pretty.

"Yeah, that's me. Then, I guess I'm your new roommate," I said awkwardly. Saito nudged me in the side, signaling for me to introduce him.

Instead, I elbowed him in the gut, causing him to double over. "If you didn't hear before, this weirdo is Saito Sakamoto," pointing to Saito, who was still clutching his abdomen.

"Is that how you treat friends, Hii-chan? You were supposed to introduce me as your super-handsome-and cool big brother-type character, who, might I add, is stunned by the beautiful young lady before him," he said, winking at the blonde-haired girl.

"Stop winking at her, you perv, or I'll poke your eyes out," I barked, but Saito merely stuck his tongue out at me.

Just then, a black butterfly flew out from seemingly nowhere. Saito sighed and held out his finger and it landed on him.

"Hmmm, I see. Tell Hanada-san to put the rice-cooker down and turn off the blowtorch, and for god's sake don't use kīdo to fix it. You know what the taichou did the last time we tried that," he said, speaking to the butterfly as if it were perfectly normal to be conversing with an insect. The butterfly flicked its antennae (out of annoyance?) and flew away, out through an open window.

He turned to face me, pouting. "Sorry, I have to go now. I think you and your lovely roommate can sort things out," Saito said apologetically.

He turned to leave, but stopped. "Oh, I almost forgot. Hii-chan, you have to meet with Kuchiki-taichou tomorrow. He'll send a messenger to take you to the estate. Good luck!" he hollered over his shoulder and disappeared in a flash again.

"What? Kuchiki! Why do I have to see that guy again? And what do you mean by 'good luck'? Hey, Saito, come back and explain, baka!" I cried, but he was already long gone.

"I'm going to kill that idiot the next time I see him!" I screeched, more out of frustration and confusion than anger. What the hell was that about?

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yeah, kind of a weird ending. I got lazy, forgive me. **

**So, Hitomi is finally going to begin training to become a shinigami at the Shino Academy and learn to control her volatile reiryoku. And it turns out that she has already met Byakuya before. I was wondering, is Hitomi coming off as too angry? She's kind of based on Ichigo. Tee hee!**

**I think I'm getting distracted with Saito, but he's so much fun to write about. He's such an adorably weird character. **

**Stay tuned for the next episode when our favorite protagonist begins her classes. But what's this about a meeting with Kuchiki? Find out about the epic encounter with Byakuya next week! (cue dramatic violin music)**

**Sorry, I'm in a goofy mood. Can you tell? **

**On a more serious note, I'd **_**really**_** appreciate any constructive criticism. In other words, please review!**

_**-CodenameOokami**_


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